Marcus Dupree Arizona State, January 1, 1983

[jobu88]

Herschel Walker is the only back who comes close in combining blazing speed with size and power. Dupree was a freak of nature.

[hatfieldadam]

how good this guy could have if things had of been different. maybe the best nfl running back of all time

[mbrooks415]

2:13 Clip!

[DrDupe]

Switzer really screwed up with Dupree. Marcus may have gained 20 pounds before the Fiesta Bowl but for ol' Barry to throw an 18-year-old kid under the bus in his post-conference was just plain wrong. That more than anything else kept Dupree from returning.

Who knows? If Dupree had remained at OU, he may have helped Oklahoma enough to beat Washington in the 1985 Orange Bowl for the nat. championship. Then again, OU would still have had the Sooner Schooner around to botch that game.

[Potsie791]

@DrDupe Switzer didn't screw up, Dupree screwed up. Dupree may have been hurt, but from what people said, he never went to rehab, never went to spring practice, and did no work on the track or in the weight room in the summer. All he did was go home and eat fried chicken. Dupree was just plain lazy, if he had the dedication of Billy Sims, he would've walked away with the Heisman. It would've ruined the team's morale for Switzer to keep Dupree when everyone else was busting their humps.

[DrDupe]

@Potsie791

Switzer totally screwed up with Dupree in relation to the post-Fiesta Bowl news conference and that's what I was talking about. BTW, few people outside Oklahoma liked Switzer. The guy was a jerk and like many college coaches, a cheater.

[Potsie791]

@DrDupe I won't deny that Switzer should never have criticized Dupree in public, that was totally wrong. I agree that Switzer was a bit of a jerk. As far as being a cheater goes, I don't know, the NCAA caught Oklahoma for some little pissant stuff, other than the Hart Lee Dykes recruitment and another incident I don't remember. I'm just not sure how much he cheated compared to "many college coaches" as you said. I just think that Dupree was just plain lazy and threw his great talent away.

[DaAmericanWanksta]

If he was only healthy

[passwordsmithsonian]

marcus dupree was the best that never was

[mrdestiny2011]

Considering he played hurt and to have have 249 yards on 17 carries is AMAZING!!!!

[mrbuck1188]

Dupree would have been the best ever with Earl Campbell behind him (If Earl would have had some blocking).

[Bexly]

Ahhhhhh.... The WishBone...now thats classic NCAA :)

[Rls1020]

Could somebody put out more of this Fiesta Bowl? Marcus was fabulous.

[mmcneil777]

This guy was phenomenal. If he had better people around him and a little more understanding coach, he could have been one of the greatest. He was SO EXPLOSIVE! Amazing!

[bowwow73]

I'm from Mississippi, and we used to hear about Marcus Dupree like he was superman. My stepfather used to brag on him like he was going to be the greatest. Now that I'm looking at these highlights, i never seen a guy that big with that burst. He runs a little like Eric Dickerson, but he hits the hole faster..

[TheReverendTony]

@bowwow73 You should read The Courting of Marcus Dupree

[klewieblu]

@TheReverendTony Good Book!

[Bexly]

@bowwow73 I always saw marcus as a Billy Sims Earl Campbell hybrid :) telling my age, there will never be a period like those 70s and 80 for RBs....your step dad was right, as a player, he was cant miss heisman and can miss all pro....

[nkoeppel]

perfect example that God given talent means nothing without desire. Dupree had ZERO dedication. Lifting weights means nothing if you don't learn how to glance and not let linebackers crush you. That's why he didn't last. Very sad... Switzer was NOT to blame. They STILL won the National Title in 1985 without Marcus!

[getyoasshome]

@nkoeppel switzer is to blame...he ran this kid into the ground he singled him out that is why dupree didnt last long. he tried to make an example out of dupree. you dont do that to 18 year old kids.

[Sthernguy1]

@nkoeppel -From what I know, Dupree did not have a father and Switzer was the first grown man that did not kiss his ass, but instead tried to get the most out of him. What is interesting is that Switzer said one of his biggest regrets in his entire career was the way he handled Marcus. I am sure he looks back and takes some responisbility. The kid needed a true father figure and Switzer just did not know how to handle that.

[blueftbl12]

@Sthernguy1 I dont think it was switzer's job to be a father, it was his job to be a coach, now that being said I think switzer did a poor job of coaching him...

[brabon1]

@nkoeppel he played the entire bowl game on a bad hammy.....no dedication?

the very first practice he shredded the ou defense

did switzer praise him? hell no...he treated him like shit

switzer destroyed the kid...plain and simple

[TCBabe1]

@nkoeppel, the coach admitted he mishandled Marcus. The coach lied saying Marcus wasn't a team player(ask his teammates in our hometown), didn't like football etc...all lies. He never would've made a comeback if that was true!

[Backyardpro]

@nkoeppel he wasnt dedicated... after his knee surgery he took 6 years off and realized he still wanted to play he lost nearly 100lbs and was sculpted beyond belief and made a comeback in the nfl.. i dont know many people that come back after a torn acl and make it into the nfl if they werent already there

[brucedavis76]

@Backyardpro yep and way before mri's too and the modern techniques we have now in the 80's hospitals were still pretty barbarice compared to now

[Pamoroom]

THIS KID PLAYED THIS GAME OUT OF SHAPE

[Multikill51]

yeah, switzer blamed the loss on a 18 yr old freshman that just ran for 239 yards, wat an idiotic move

[piercematt]

Yeah some "Reverend" he Ruined Marcus's future and everything. What a Worthless Person you are Ken Fairley! How could you do such a thing to a young kid. I wish Marcus would just come live here in Norman and let the Sooner Nation take care of him and come to every game and sign autographs and just have a good time. Dupree is part of the Sooner Nation and any of us would gladly take him in. He's the player I always wanted to meet growing up but never got the chance.

[ixcuincle]

What was amazing about this is how he did all this out of shape

Switzer called him out on it after the game, probably a bad idea to worsen an already tense relationship

[ChillinDog19]

I don't understand all this the best that never was... I just watched the entire 30 for 30 story on this guy. He did it. Simply the most amazing athlete I've ever seen. NO one ran like him. AND, he made a come back. Nothing short of amazing.

[WParfitt5]

Were u on the show??

[boomdadon]

This man had 239 rushing yards on 17 carries!! Not to mention he had a pulled hamstring, broken finger, an ankle and rib injury.. SMH!! Ridiculous!!

[TheReverendTony]

@boomdadon The Best That Never Was premieres tonight at 7 pm cst on ESPN featuring videos from the collection of The Reverend Tony™

[MultiCHAMP28]

the guy who chased dupree down in the beginning is now my football coach mario montgomery

[RsUrd3adb0y]

@MultiCHAMP28 wow cool lol

[OrigLanceR]

had I not seen this game when it happened, you'd swear from the highlights Oklahoma destroyed Arizona State. Not the case however.

[Go1Devils]

Great win by ASU ! Go Devils !

[fueldragster]

Marcus Dupree: What should have been but never was

Really unlucky in his career

[Brelan25Brelan25]

his mom wasnt their she was back in mississippi

[999beme]

1983, not 1993